Plate-feeding mechanism for addressing machines



July 1, 1930. A. L. SCHULTZ 1,768,862

I PLATE FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES Filed May 17, was v3Sheets-Sheet 1 F le-. 1

0 A. SCHULTZ PLATE FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES Jul 1,1930.

Filed May 17, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 1,, 1930. A. L. SCHULTZ1,768,862

PLATE FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1928, sSheets-Sheet s gwuentop mww 1/2 Patented July 1, 1%30 arse stares earstries AUGUST L. SCHULTZ, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE AMERICANMULTI- GBAIEH CQMPANZ, OF CLEVELAND, (DI-$10, A CORPGB-ATION OF OHIOPLATE-FEEDING MECHAETIE-ZE Application filed May 17,

This invention relates to an addressing machine wherein there is amagazine of address plates one above the other, the bottommost one ofwhich is fed by a reciprocating slide to printing position. Theinvention is concerned particularly with automatic mechanism forseparating the bottom-most plate from the rest of the stack justpreceding the feeding movement, so that it will be entirely free fromthe stack for movement by the reciprocating mechanism.

My invention is particularly well adapted for address plates of the typeshown in Patent No. 1,628,631 of my assignee The American .MultigraphCompany. Such aplate is trough shape in cross-section and has upwardlyextending corrugations provided with lateral lips on top of which aremounted embossed printing strips. Suitable index tabs or folded metalmay be mounted on the end portion of such plate, embracing its upper andunder surface. It has been found that when such plates are stacked in amagazine, and the bottom-most plate drawn out from under the stack,there is danger of an embossing strip on the bottom-most plate becomingentangled with a portion of the index tab on the next to the bottomplate, and, even though ample normal clearance is provided in designingthe machine, this result may happen it the index tab is bent ordistort-ed.

II have found that all danger of interference between the bottom plateand the one above it may be avoided by providing a sui able supportwhich acts on the next to the bottom plate and maintains it and theplates above it definitely out of engagement with the bottom-mosu plate,which latter is thereby free to be fed by the reciprocating mecha nism.The support is automatically withdrawn by the reciprocating mechanism oneach stroke to free the bottomenost plate and thereafter returns toengage the next higher plate and support the stack. The mechanism isthus in the nature of an automatic escapeinent.

My invention is hereinafter more fully described in connection with theembodiment F815; ADDRESSING MACHINES 1528. Serial No. 278,365.

shown in the drawings, and the essential novel characteristics set outin the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a plan of one form of an addcssing machineembodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof throughthe magazine, as indicated bythe ofiset line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is anenlarged view of the lower portion of the magazine and other partscooperating therewith as shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4c is an enlarged sectionsimilar to Fig. 3 but with the parts in a difl erentposition; Fig. 5 isa side elevation of the magazine and cooperating parts in the positionshown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a side elevation similar to'Fig. 5 but withthe parts in the position shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is adiagrammatic Viewof a plurality of surmounting plates illustrating the action of myseparator, this view being in the nature of avertical section asindicated by the line 7 7 on Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is aperspective of one ofthe spring escapement plates secured to the side of the magazine.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, 10 indicates the bed or frameof a flat-bed addressing machine. Extending transversely across thisframe is a channel 11 and an anvil 11, along which the address plate maytravel from a magazine 12 to printing posi tion, after which it isdischarged into a receptacle 14.- at the left hand side of the machine.

A manually operated impression arm is shown in the drawings as pivotedto the bed at 21 adjacent the rear end of the arm, while at the forwardend is an operating handle 22, and a short dista-ncebehind the handle isa platen 24 adjustably carried by the arm in usual manner. Theimpression arm 20 is normally maintained elevated, as shown in Fig. 2,by a suitable spring or springs 25 attached to rear extensions of thearm. The rear extension 26 is connected by a suitable system of linkage27 with a reciprocating slide in the channel 11.

The slide is made up of a pair of bars 30 standing on edge and suitablecross connections 31. The two bars 30 are of increased height near theirright hand portions, thus providing an abrupt shoulder 32 which mayserve to engage and feed forward the bottommost address plate resting onthe bars in front of the shoulder.

As the arm is depressed to effect the printing by means of a platedirectly below the platen 24 the slide is carried toward the rightend,so that the shoulder 32 is beyond the magazine. Then, as hereinafterexplained the bottom-most plate A, Figs. 1 and 2 is allowed to drop fromthe magazine 12 onto the anvil 11 in front of the shoulder 32 of theslide then, as the platen moves upwardly, the linkage mechanismdescribed moves the slide toward the left carrying the bottom-most platefrom the magazine into position immediately at the left thereof. Thissame movement carries a plate which was left standing at the left of themagazine into printing position beneath the platen, and at the same timeshoves the plate which has just been printed from by the platen into thereceptacle 14 at the extreme left of the machine.

As heretofore mentioned, it is the purpose of my invention to avoiddrawing the bottom-most plate along while in contact with the one aboveit in the stack, and I elfect this by providing the automatic escapementmechanism which I will now describe, this mechanism operating tomaintain all of the stack except the bottom-most plate in a slightlyelevated position so that the bottommost plate is free from the rest ofthe stack during the time it moves from under the stack.

I secure to opposite sides of the magazine 12 spring plates 40. Theseplates are secured near their upper ends to the magazine, as by screws41, and depend across openings 42 in the magazine walls, and areprovided with inwardly turned wedge shaped lips 43 adapted to extendinwardly at the bottom of the magazine and su port the stack of addressplates therein. ormally these lips are beneath the bottom-most plate,but when the plate has dropped onto the slide to be fed, the lips maystand in position to enter between that plate and the one next above it,as

shown in Fig. 4.

a Each plate 40 has an extension 45 below the lip 43. The edges of theseextensions toward the right side of the machine are rounded or bent backas at 46. I secure on the outer sides of the reciprocating bars 30 a airof rounded projections which are a apted to engage the inclined orcurled ends 46 of the cscapement plates and cam them outwardly towithdraw the lips 43 from enga mentwith the plate.

he normal position of the escapement lates is with lips 43 in themagazine, such ips extending between the bottom-most two p ates in thestack and supporting the stack, as illustrated by the plates A and A inFig. 4. Now, when the reciprocating bars 30 move to their left handposition on the up stroke of the platen arm, the cam-like projections 35engage the lower portion of the plates 40 and spread them outwardly justas the shoulder 32 moves beyond the left hand side of the magazine, asshown in Figs. 3 and 5. This withdraws the lips 43 so that the stack ofaddress plates drops onto the slide, resting on the high portion of thebars 30 to the right of the shoulder 32. This is the position of theparts at the end of the up stroke of the platen arm. The projections 35are then behind the extensions of the escapement plates and the wholestack of address plates rests on the bars 30 a short distance beyond orto the right of the shoulders 32 thereof.

At the beginning of the downstroke of the platen arm, the linkageconnection described starts the movement of the slide bars 30 toward theright. In the first portion of such movement, before the receding of thehigh portion of the bars 30 permits the platen to drop to the anvil 11*,the projections 35 move out from under the escapement plate extensions45, and then the freed escapement plates spring back into position. Inthis movement the wedge shaped lips 43 strike against the upwardlycurled edge beads a of the next to the bottom plate A and sliding inbeneath these beads, raise the stack of plates above the lips a slightamount, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

As the slide continues in its movement to the right the high portion ofthe slide recedes and permits the bottom-most plate A to drop to theanvil, the remaining plates being supported in their raised position bythe lips 43. This supporting of the stack while the bottom-most platedrops to a position where it will be engaged by the shoulder 32 on thereturn stroke provides an ample distance above the bottom plate so thatthere is no danger of any interference of one plate with the other whenthe slide carries the bottommost plate out of the magazine to itsposition of rest ready to be further advanced on the next stroke intoprinting position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

In Fig. 7, I have illustrated three surmounting address plates A, A Aand I have indicated in a somewhat exaggerated form index tabs B, B BThe plate A is supposed to be resting directly on plate A, while theplate A is separated from the plate A by the interposition of thesupporting lips 43 which hold the stack in raised position while theplate A drops from the high portion of the slide to the anvil 11".

It will be seen that the type characters on the plate A would. be likelyto foul with the index tab 2 if the plate A were drawn horizontally outof the stack. The plate A however may be so drawn from the stack withoutdanger of aftectin g the index tab B.

It will be seen that by my mechanism the stack of plates is normallymaintained entirely free from the reciprocating bars; that just beforethe reciprocating frame reaches the end of its active or feeding stroke,the stack is freed and drops onto the high portion of the bars at therear of the shoulder; that at the beginning of the idle stroke theoperation of the escapement mechanism lifts all of the'plates above thebottom-most one and supports them while the bottom-most plate drops intoposition to be carried by the return stroke of the reciprocating frame.As the result of this lifting of the stack, and the consequent freedomof the lowermost plate, I have done away with all danger of interferencebetween the plates or danger of an index tab on a plate beingaccidentally dislocated. I also avoid the usual frictional wear of thebottom plate sliding from under the superimposed stack.

I claim 1. In an addressing machine, the combination of amagazineadapted to carry a stack of address plates, a reciprocating feed mecha-'nism operable beneath the magazine, an automatically actuatedescapement device enabling the stack of plates in the magazine todescend into thefeed mechanism and thereafter to raise all of the platesexcept the bottomrnost to leave the latter free on the reciprocatingfeed 'mec'ha-nism.

1 2. In an addressing machine, the combination'of a magazine adapted tohold address plates one abovethe-other, a reciprocating feed mechanismand anescapement device having a pa1r of tongues adapted to engage theedges of an address plate and slightly raise a stack of such plates inthe magazine, and mechanism operated automatically for periodicallywithdrawing the tongues from such engagement and thereafter returningthem.

'3. In an addressing machine, the combination of a magazine for addressplates, a reciprocating feed mechanism, an escapementdevice comprising apair of springs equipped with tongues adapted to support the plates inthe magazine or be operated to release such plates, and mechanism on thereciprocating feed device to operate the escapement.

4. The combination with a magazine for address plates and areciprocating feed slide, of normally active plate retaining devices,and means located on the feed slide itself for a withdrawing theretaining devices.

5. The combination with a magazine for address plates and areciprocating plate feeding mechanism, of a normally active plateretaining device adapted to engage and raise a plate and serving toprevent a plate pass ing onto the feed slide,and mechanism oper atingconcurrently with the feed slide for moving the retaining device toinactive position, and thereafter allowing it to return to activeposition to raise and support the rest ofthe stack preceding the timethe feed slide acts on the bottommost plate to feed it.

6. In an addressing machine, the combination of a magazine adapted tocontain address plates one above the other, a reciprocating feedmechanism operating beneath the magazine, a pair of resilient platesupporting devices and a pair of cams on the feed slide adapted toengage said plate supporting device, the cams being adapted to movesaiddevices in one direction and the resilience of the devices to move themin the opposite direction.

7. In an addressing machine, the combination of a magazine adapted tocontain address plates one above the other, a reciprocating feedmechanism operating beneath the'magazine, a pair of resilient normallyactive plate supporting devices, and a pair of cams on the feed slideadapted to engage said plate supporting device and withdraw them fromactive position.

8. In an addressing machine, the combination of a magazine adapted tohold address plates one above the other, a pair of spring plates carriedby the magazine and having inturned lips adapted to engage plates andsupport themin the magazine, a reciprocating feed slide and mechanismoperatedthereby for moving said spring plates outwardly to withdraw saidlips.

9. In'an addressing machine, the combination of a magazine for addressplates, a reciprocating feed slide having a shoulder for shoving thebottom-most plate laterally, a pair of escapement members having lipsprojecting into the interior of the magazine, and projections on theslide adapted to coact with said members and withdraw the lips.

10. In an addressing machine, the combi nation of a magazine for addressplates, a reciprocating feed slide coactlng therewith comprising a pairof bars connected'together,

said bars having shoulders for shoving the bottommost plate, a pair ofescapement plates carried by the magazine and having lips projectinginto the interior of the magazine, said plates having extensions, andprojections on the bars adapted to engage said extensions and withdrawthe lips to allowthe bottom-most plate to drop onto said bars.

11. In an addressing machine, the combination of a magazine adapted tocontain addressplates resting on each other, a reciprocating feed-slidebeneaththe magazine, a member adapted toengage and support an address-plate, said member having a portion extending over the side of the feedslide, and

a projection on the side of the feed slide adapted to coact with suchextension to with- 'drawthe member from the'address plate.

12. In an addressing machine, the combination of a magazinefor addressplates, a

.ciprocable beneath the magazine, said bars pair of feed bars connectedtogether and rebeing so placed that the bottom-most plate may rest onthem, a shoulder on the bars ada ted to engage such bottom-most plate tofee it, a pair of spring retaining devices secured to opposite sides ofthe magazine and having lips adapted to extend into engagement with thebottommost address plate therein, each retaining device having anextension depending on the outerside of the corresponding feed bar, anda projection on the feed bar adapted to engage said extension andthereby force the retaining device into an inactive position.

13. In an addressing machine, the combination with a frame and a platenarm secured thereto, of a reciprocating slide connected with the platenarm, a magazine beneath which the feed slide operates, a pair ofretaining members on opposite sides of the magazine having lips adaptedto support plates in the magazine and having portions extendingalongside of the feed slide, and projections on the feed slide adaptedto engage said portions to withdraw the lips from active position.

. 14. In an addressing machine, the combination with a magazine adaptedto contain a stack of address plates having curved edge beads, of aspring retaining device adapted to enter the magazine and engage thecurved edge bead of a plate a reciprocatingplate f mechanism, and meansactuated therewith to withdraw the plate retainer and then allow it toreturn to active position to engage the bead of the next to the bottomplate and thereby raise that plate and those above it and support thestack.

, 15. In an addressing machine, the combination with a frame and animpression arm carried thereby, of a reciprocating plate feedingmechanism coupled with the impression arm to be moved in the idledirection on the down-stroke of the arm and in the active direction ofthe up-stroke of the arm, a magazine for address plates, a retainingdevice adapted to enter the magazine and support thestack of plates, andmeans on the reciprocating feeder controlling the retaining device tocause its withdrawal to allow the descent of the stack onto the feedingmechanism and then allow the retaining device to return to raise all ofthe plates except the bottommost one.

16. In an addressing machine, the combination with a frame and animpression arm carried thereby, of a reciprocating plate feedingmechanism coupled with the impression arm to be moved in the idledirection on the dowmstroke of the arm and in the active direction onthe up-stroke of the arm, a magazine for address plates, a pair ofspring retaining devices adapted to enter the magazine and support thestack of plates, and a pair of projections on the reciprocatingfeederhaving a camming action on the retaining device to withdraw themto allow the descent of the stack onto the feeding mechanism andthereafter release them to allow them to return to raise all of theplates except the bottom-most one, the said camming action beingadjacent the end of one stroke of the reciprocating feeding mechanism,and said releasing action being at the beginning of the opposite strokethereof.

17. In an addressing machine, the combination with a magazine adapted tocontain a stack of address plates having edge beads, of a retainingdevice adapted to enter the magazine and engage the edge bead of a platenext above the bottom and thereby raise that plate and those above it,and a feed slide adapted to eject the bottom plate from the stack.

18. In an addressing machine, the combination of a magazine for addressplates, a reciprocating feed slide having a shoulder for shoving thebottom-most plate laterally, a pair of inwardly acting springs for theplates in the magazine, and mechanism for forcing the springs outwardlyto release the plates at a time when the shoulder is beyond thebottom-most plate and thereafter on the succeeding stroke of the slideallowing the springs to restore themselves before the slide effectivelyfeeds the bottom-most plate.

19. In an addressing machine, the combination of a magazine for addressplates, a reciprocating feed mechanism adapted to move plates therefrom,a pair of opposed tongues spring pressed inwardly to support the platesin the magazine, and mechanism operating in conjunction with the feedmechanism to move the tongues outwardly to release a plate.

20. In an addressing machine, the combination of a magazine adapted tocarry a stack of address plates, a reciprocating feed mechanism operablebeneath the magazine to carry plates therefrom, a pair of depending leafsprings having inwardly projecting tongues for supporting the stack ofplates in the magazine and mechanism adapted to act on the lowerportions of said springs to force them outwardly to release a plate.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

AUGUST L. SCHULTZ.

